Another remedy that I have found very valuable in the leucorrhoea of little girls is Caulophyllum, when the discharge is profuse and weakens the child very much.
We find that in uterine spasms, Caulophyllum and Actea racemosa act like Magnesia mur. I must say that I believe Caulophyllum heads the list. I know of no other drug that produces such continued spasmodic condition of the uterus unless it be Secale.
Caulophyllum is especially suited to rheumatism of the phalangeal and metacarpal joints, particularly in females.
GUERNSEY (Keynotes) has also a few words of appreciation for Caulophyllum.
Rheumatism of small joints. In labour we find deficient pains on account of the exhaustion of the patient; Caulo. will at once brace up her strength and produce efficient pains.
His summary of the uses of Caulo. in diseases of women is worth reproducing.
Extraordinary rigidity of the os uteri.
Spasmodic and severe pains, with no progress made.
Pains become very weak from exhaustion of the patient, on account of long labour.
Thirst and feverishness.
False pains: spasmodic, in various parts of abdomen.
Patient much exhausted, and pains very inefficient.
Menorrhagia, or haemorrhage after labour, especially hasty labour. Flow very profuse, due to want of tonicity of uterus, which is relaxed and contracts feebly.
Convulsions with very weak and irregular pains. Feels very weak.
Retained placenta, with characteristic sense of weakness or exhaustion, and pains too weak.
After-pains after protracted and exhausting labour: spasmodic pains across lower abdomen, may extend to groins.
Lochia bloody lasts too long: passive oozing from relaxed uterus with great exhaustion.
Abortion threatened, with want of tonicity; uterine contraction feeble.
Neuralgia of vagina, when vagina is excessively irritable, and pain and spasm are intense and continued.
Hysteria and uterine displacements with above characteristics.
Leucorrhoea burning, producing characteristic weakness.
Extremities: Very severe rheumatic pains, aching, drawing, erratic, now in one place, now in another.
Especially in small joints, fingers, wrists, toes, ankles. Great painful stiffness of affected joints.
Worse in open air: from coffee.
Weakness: exhaustion: want of tone, as one sees, are the Keynotes of the remedy.–KENT (New Remedies) brings this out.
Weakness in the reproductive system of the woman.
From weakness she is sterile, or she aborts in the early months of gestation.
During parturition the contractions of the uterus are too feeble to expel the contents, and they are only tormenting.
Labour-like pains during menstruation with drawing pains in the thighs and legs, and even the feet and toes.
Uterine haemorrhage from inertia of the uterus.
Relaxation of muscles and ligaments.
Heaviness, and even prolapsus.
Subinvolution.
Excoriating leucorrhoea.
Menses too soon, or too late.
She is sensitive to cold, and wants warm clothing, quite unlike Pulsatilla.
She is hysterical, like Ignatia.
She is fretful and apprehensive.
She is rheumatic, like Cimicifuga, only the small joints are likely to be affected.
Later she suffers from after pains, and they are felt in the inguinal region.
Rheumatic stiffness of the back, and very sensitive spine.
She is sleepless restless, and withal very excitable.
This remedy has cured chorea at puberty when menstruation was late.
There is always a good deal of repetition in quotations from several prescribers, yet each one is able to stress some important point, “Learn from many, if you would know more than a little.”
Lastly NASH speaks of Caulophyllum as another very valuable “women’s remedy” because of its specific action upon the uterus. He says it deserves a thorough proving. And in regard to its curious action on uterus and small finger joints he gives an instructive and suggestive case. We will abbreviate.
Married lady of 40, with wry neck of long standing, was seven months pregnant. She was attacked with severe pains and swellings of all the finger joints. Intense pain, and only relief, in order to get sleep, by enveloping her fingers in mustard.
Nash gave Caulo. 3d, which relieved the finger pains, but brought on severe labour pains, and was discontinued for fear of premature labour. Then the bearing-down pains ceased, and the finger pains returned and continued in full force until she was delivered of her child, when they ceased for two or three days,
Then the lochia, instead of decreasing, increased till it amounted to a metrorrhagia. The flow was passive, dark and liquid. There was a great sense of weakness and internal trembling, and now the terrible finger pains returned again.
Nash was afraid of Caulo, which seemed indicated, because it had brought on the bearing-down pains. He gave Arnica, Sabina, Secale and Sulphur, without the least improvement: then concluded to give Caulophyllum high. He did so in the 200th potency, and cured the whole case promptly and permanently. He says, “Now this was a perfect Caulo. case, and had I given it properly in the first place I have no doubt I would have saved that woman all unnecessary suffering.”
He adds: “I have given this remedy in long-continued passive haemorrhage from the uterus after miscarriage when I had the characteristic weakness and sense of internal trembling present. It has often regulated irregular spasmodic labour pains, and relieved pains of the same character in dysmenorrhoea.”
Many cases of rheumatoid arthritis in women begin at the menopause. Whenever that is the case, and the small joints of hands and feet are involved, Caulophyllum should be one of the drugs and comes up for consideration. Also in any non-menopausic cases where uterus and small joints are affected.
Here is a LITTLE CASE that came up again the other day at Out- patient and, reminding one of the drug, suggested that, as it was little known, and could be frightfully useful, it should be Drug- pictured. Hence this attempt!
Mrs. X, 52, came to Out-patients in April 1936 complaining of rheumatoid arthritis. Hands and feet deformed. Symptoms suggested Causticum or Medorrhinum. She had one after the other, without improvement. Later, because of the very marked “Worse thunderstorms”, she got Rhododendron, for some months, in different potencies, and improved very much.
In February 1937, hands were “less good” and there was more pain. And now Rhododendron failed, and, again, Causticum.
March 1937. Finding that hands were “worse during her periods and for three days before”, and “nice afterwards” she got Caulophyllum, a dose of the 30th potency.
April. “MUCH better and knuckles less swollen.”
May. Much better.
July 20th. “Ever so much better”; and in herself also. “Not so down-hearted now she can use her hands.”
August 17th. Says, “When she first came her hands got much better, then bad again. They are fine now.” She feels and looks very well; and the movements of her hands are normal, with very little to show their original condition.
